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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Not too much new...

I do apologize for the slowness, I really only have a few blurbs I wanna get out, nothing article worthy.

First, the Middle East is on fire, what's new? I really don't wanna talk about it anymore...

Bush's first veto, I happen to disagree with. Now don't get me wrong I'm as pro fiscal responsibility as you get but he vetoed a bill I have no problem with. Stem-cell research. I'll let you know right now I'm not a Conservative on many scientific topics except for Global Warming and a few other things. And I have no problem with stem-cell research. The religious right likes to say "but it's killing innocent lives."
Uh, no. It's killing cells with no more feelings than a house plant so we can SAVE innocent human lives. Can you get more "pro-life" than that?

Now if you're a new reader, I'll say again that though I have some very Conservative stances, I also have some Libertarian leanings. Probably the best description for me is Neolibertarian.

Nothing else newsy that I really want to get out right now. Sure the Israeli's and the Palestinians are duking it out, but how much more can I say before I just start copying and pasting entire posts?

So apart from news. My book, I'm still thinking about it and I may go with a different topic that I know more about and I know on my blog I have a "podcast" link with no actual podcast. Well, I'm seriously considering starting one soon. The only thing setting me back is supplies. I need a pair of microphones that can plug into a computer for less than 800 bucks. More on that soon.

Not a whole lot left to say, fellow Better Wingnuts. Except that I recommend that you freeze yourself inside an ice cube before you get a heat stroke. Up in Maine we're getting up into the 90's and 100's.

18 Comments:

  • At 19/7/06 9:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It's not about saving lives Cody, it's about saving the potential of human life. And it's totally unnecessary. You can get the same cells off of umbilical cords.

     
  • At 20/7/06 1:38 AM, Blogger Allisoni Balloni said…

    I completely agree with you, Cody. There are millions of embryos discarded every year from the Invitro Fertilization process, and only 130 of those embryos have been "adopted" by families and implanted like Bush claims is the perfect solution. If they are already being discarded, why can they not be used for scientific and life saving research? I have a neighbor who was in a horrific car accident several years ago, and is parapalegic. He works out his upper body and keeps as active as possible because he is convinced that before he dies, there will be a way to reverse his condition. While it's not alzheimers or diabetes or something that stem cell research may directly impact, Bush is still sending the message that he doesn't value the lives of those struggling and waiting for research to result in an answer and a new life. Thanks a lot, Mr. President.

     
  • At 20/7/06 3:48 AM, Blogger Allisoni Balloni said…

    P.S.--Wisconsin is burning up as well. I don't know how I would survive without AC, even though I know our temps here are nothing compared to down South. And I love Maine, btw. Probably my favorite state next to my beautiful homestate of WI.

     
  • At 20/7/06 8:45 AM, Blogger Cody O'Connor said…

    Robby said...
    "It's not about saving lives Cody, it's about saving the potential of human life. And it's totally unnecessary. You can get the same cells off of umbilical cords."

    I understand your point of view Robby, though I think even though the cell is "alive" I think a real human being has the priority for being treated, especially if the cells will be discarded anyway. I do however draw the line as soon as it looks like a human, but a little cell, I can handle. I mean, if you want every cells death to be the murder of human life then it'd be best if you stopped washing your face so you don't kill any innocent skin cells. But like I said, I don't pretend to be a scientific Conservative. except for abortion, global warming and the use of nuclear energy.

    allisoni said...
    "Bush is still sending the message that he doesn't value the lives of those struggling and waiting for research to result in an answer and a new life. Thanks a lot, Mr. President."

    Well, I think he cares. He just for some reason cares more about unconsious cells, than living people with real problems. It's too bad how religion clouds the judgement of some people making them as logical as those in the dark ages when it comes to science.

    "P.S.--Wisconsin is burning up as well. I don't know how I would survive without AC, even though I know our temps here are nothing compared to down South. And I love Maine, btw. Probably my favorite state next to my beautiful homestate of WI."

    My room was a sauna until I got an air conditioner in it. But at least we're not "on fire" like the Middle East...

     
  • At 20/7/06 9:41 AM, Blogger PlaidBaron said…

    Darksaturos is right. You can get that off the umbilical cord. The problem I have about cloning is this. Some people say it could be useful in providing missing body parts. If you start doing that, isn't that like dismembering a living person.

     
  • At 20/7/06 10:59 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I understand your point of view Robby, though I think even though the cell is "alive" I think a real human being has the priority for being treated,

    I know, but why use something like an embryo when we can get the same thing from an umbilical cord? Doesn't make sense.

    I mean, if you want every cells death to be the murder of human life then it'd be best if you stopped washing your face so you don't kill any innocent skin cells.

    Someone's been watching too much Colbert Report I think. Skin cells don't have the potential to become humans. Embryonic ones do.

    Well, I think he cares. He just for some reason cares more about unconsious cells, than living people with real problems.

    I think what he wants to do is find a way to get the same effect without usuing embryonic cells. Why not do that and comprimise?

    It's too bad how religion clouds the judgement of some people making them as logical as those in the dark ages when it comes to science.

    I'm not against it relegiously, I'm against it morally, and I know you were talking about Bush, but I just wanted to get it in for the record.

    My room was a sauna until I got an air conditioner in it. But at least we're not "on fire" like the Middle East...

    My mom still won't allow air conditioners. She thinks they're unatural. It's really wierd.

     
  • At 20/7/06 11:17 AM, Blogger Cody O'Connor said…

    "I know, but why use something like an embryo when we can get the same thing from an umbilical cord? Doesn't make sense."

    Then lets do that. But if they're going to be discarded anyway, we might as well do something with it. Now if they weren't going to be thrown away and we had the umbilical cord alternative then yeah I'd say go for that instead. But they're just getting thrown away anyways.

     
  • At 20/7/06 11:21 AM, Blogger Cody O'Connor said…

    Plaidbaron said...
    "Some people say it could be useful in providing missing body parts. If you start doing that, isn't that like dismembering a living person."

    The body part thing is a certainly creepy, and not being a scientist I don't know if you can grow a pair of eyes without a consious body or not, but if you could make blood or tissue without killing a real live consious person, then I wouldn't have a problem with it.

     
  • At 20/7/06 11:24 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Then lets do that. But if they're going to be discarded anyway, we might as well do something with it. Now if they weren't going to be thrown away and we had the umbilical cord alternative then yeah I'd say go for that instead. But they're just getting thrown away anyways.


    Okay but morals aside, why create political strife where there's a viable solution? If we can do the umbilical thing why should we create a problem using embryonic materials?

    The body part thing is a certainly creepy, and not being a scientist I don't know if you can grow a pair of eyes without a consious body or not, but if you could make blood or tissue without killing a real live consious person, then I wouldn't have a problem with it.

    Aw I wouldn't have a problem with that, as long as you weren't getting the parts from an actual person, and were just growing the parts themselves.

     
  • At 20/7/06 1:50 PM, Blogger Allisoni Balloni said…

    While it is effective to use what is found in cord blood for research, there are different things found in embryonic cells that may also have great potential. Even though there is the possibility of finding more cures using cord blood cells, that does't mean that there aren't still valuable cures in to be found using embryonic cells.

    As far as cloning goes, that isn't legal anyway. It's not like they would clone an entire person and then kill them for their tissue, or anything. It is possible (and has been tested) to duplicate cells of certain tissues, so that organs can be developed for transplants, etc, without the need of a donor. That certainly has the possibility to save many lives, as it could be specified to blood type without having to wait for a matching donor. Even that technology, though, it still developing and we will eventually see laws made about that.

     
  • At 20/7/06 4:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Even though there is the possibility of finding more cures using cord blood cells, that does't mean that there aren't still valuable cures in to be found using embryonic cells.

    Maybe, but in this point in time aren't they only talking about "stem cells?"

    As far as cloning goes, that isn't legal anyway. It's not like they would clone an entire person and then kill them for their tissue, or anything. It is possible (and has been tested) to duplicate cells of certain tissues, so that organs can be developed for transplants, etc, without the need of a donor. That certainly has the possibility to save many lives, as it could be specified to blood type without having to wait for a matching donor.

    Right, yeah, I'd have no problem with cloning parts because parts wouldn't have any chance of becoming a human, so there's really no harm in it and it would be really helpful and speed up the medical system.

     
  • At 20/7/06 6:44 PM, Blogger Allisoni Balloni said…

    The thing is that if the medical field is going to make these advances, then they have to be allowed the funding and resources to do so.

     
  • At 20/7/06 9:26 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Well maybe but it'd depend on where the money is coming from. I've noticed then whenever the government gets any money at all they spend it on stupid stuff. I'm thinking that instead of funding them with government money what should happen is that the government should set a reward bounty. That is, the company who comes up with the first advance in saving lives through stem cell research gets some money. That way we know that the companies are actually doing something before they get our taxes.

     
  • At 21/7/06 1:01 AM, Blogger Allisoni Balloni said…

    At the same time, though, you can't get supplies and new technology to utilize if you don't have the funds. Public universities, especially, (such as the University of Wisconsin--that has an excellent record in medical research and advances) have such little funding initially. We are also competing with other nations to establish these techniques and abilities...which is important to remember when OUR technology isn't being properly funded and remains at a standstill.

     
  • At 21/7/06 9:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Yeah but there's plenty of private bussnessiss that can do it. I mean some of these pharmaceutical companies are huge. I mean just huge. They could easily create a new branch to work on stem cell research. I think it'd be better to have these companies compete so that we get the best possible product. That's how the X-35 Fighter Plane, finest in the world I would add, was made. The government went to some companies and basically said, best product gets the money. Lockheed came out with this beautiful X-35 VTOL Joint Strike Fighter Jet. Boeing came out with this runway version of a similar plane. Good but not as good as the other. Naturally the government chose the Lockheed version. By offering money the government got these two companies to play off of each other and got the best possible aircraft without spending till they knew it worked. If the companies know that they have the money already, they won't care, but if they're competing for money, and future government proceeds, they'll work pretty hard.

     
  • At 21/7/06 11:16 AM, Blogger Cody O'Connor said…

    From what I know this bill was about government funding for stem-cell research and honestly I'm not sure if something important as stem-cell research deserves government funding or not. I think it depends on how much private funding can accomplish. If people don't think they can make a profit off stem-cell research, they won't fund it. So my stance depends on that. If private funding can handle it then government doesn't need to spend money on it, but if private funding can't, then I honestly think this is something too big for the government not to fund. And that's coming from a fiscal Conservative.

     
  • At 21/7/06 1:56 PM, Blogger Gayle said…

    Dark is right, Cody. And I see your point too, but here's the problem: With the liberals if you give them an inch they take a mile. In other words, the old "slippery-slope" thing. If we start with this, they will only want more. It never fails. I think that's the main objection anyway; if not, I can see nothing wrong with it either. After all, they are throwing them away!

    Cody, I've read the comments. Thanks a bunch! Now I'll have to worry about washing my face! ;) (just kidding.)

    Regarding the subjects of cloning and funding for medical research, I agree with Allisoni; (That may be a first; I'm not sure.) :)

    If you think it's hot in Maine, don't visit Texas anytime soon. It's competing with Hades right now!

     
  • At 28/7/06 8:10 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    If embryonic stem cells show so much promise, how come venture captialists aren't investing in private research?

    This was fundamentally a spending bill that had no promise, and thus this was a fiscally conservative, common-sense veto.

     

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